Winter Haven, Fla. — The Wheaton softball team opened its 2023 campaign Saturday afternoon at The Spring Games in Florida. The Thunder played Russell Sage College in their first game of the season, losing 2-1, before dropping a 1-0 contest against Gordon College.

Against Russell Sage (2-1), Wheaton was led by Olivia Nahorniak, who tallied two hits and an RBI. Isabel Hillyer added another hit and scored the lone run, while Paige Andrews, Alese Antonello, and Madison Forberg each added a hit apiece.

Russell Sage began the game with a single and a sacrifice bunt, but failed to score the leadoff runner. The Gators also produced a baserunner in the second inning, thanks to a walk, but stranded that runner as well.

Wheaton's first baserunning action came in the bottom of the second due to a Russell Sage fielding error and subsequent walk, but a line out and ground out stranded both runners to keep the game scoreless.

After RSC stranded another runner in the top of third, Wheaton finally got on the board in the bottom of the frame. Hillyer singled to right field, stole second base, and then scored on a subsequent single to right from Nahorniak.

Russell Sage responded in the top of the fourth. After a leadoff walk, a double scored the Gators' first run, followed by two more singles to plate another runner and bring the score to 2-1.

The Thunder threatened with multiple runners again in each of the last four innings, but was unable to convert any of those opportunities to rally past RSC. In all, Wheaton stranded 10 runners in the contest, compared to Russell Sage's six. RSC also tallied one defensive error.

Alese Antonello got the start in the circle for Wheaton, throwing all seven innings and facing 29 batters. She allowed six hits, two earned runs, and had two walks and three strikeouts.

In the second game of the day, which started over an hour late due to delays on other fields, Wheaton faced Gordon (1-1) in a tight duel that saw Wheaton outhit the Fighting Scots 8-3, but again the Thunder were haunted by stranded base runners.

Elizabeth Meyer and Nahorniak led the way for Wheaton with two hits each, followed by Abie Brown, Elise O'Neil, Kylie Chetakian, and Hillyer who each tallied another hit.

In the top of the first inning, Wheaton led off with back-to-back singles from Brown and Nahomiak, but Brown was tagged out at home trying to score on a grounder from Andrews. The Thunder ended that inning with two runners left on base.

In the bottom of the second, Wheaton led off with a single by O'Neil, advanced her to second on a sacrifice bunt, and moved her to third thanks to a Chetakian single. However, with O'Neil on third and just one out, Wheaton failed to plate a runner in the inning.

The Thunder were active again in the fourth inning, as both Meyer and Hillyer singled to give Wheaton a scoring opportunity with two outs, but a foul out ended the potential rally.

The fifth inning looked to be Wheaton's best chance to jump on the scoreboard, as Nahomiak led off with a single to center and Paige Andrews was hit by a pitch to give Wheaton two on base with no outs. However, a fielders' choice ground out followed by two infield pop flies stranded both of the Thunder's lead-off runners.

Despite not having a hit or baserunner through the first four innings, Gordon used one good frame -- thanks to a double, a single, and a Wheaton error -- to score the only run of the contest in the bottom of the fifth.

Wheaton tacked on a single to lead off their top half of the sixth, but the next six Thunder batters failed to reach base and Wheaton dropped the game by a final of 1-0.

Copying their stat from game one, Wheaton stranded 10 runners against Gordon. The Thunder had two defensive errors compared to the Fighting Scots' one.

Paige Andrews threw a strong game in the circle for Wheaton, retiring the first 12 batters she faced. In all, through six innings, Andrews faced 22 batters, allowed eight hits and one run, and recorded seven strikeouts with just one walk.

The Thunder will enjoy a day off in Florida on Sunday before facing Elizabethtown College and Emmanuel College on Monday morning.